Apparatus for turning paper



June 9, 1925. 7 1,541,651

v R. K. MATLACK APPARAT11S FOR TURNING PAPER Filed Aug. 9 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 9, W25;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. K. MATLACK APPARATUS FOR TURNING PAPER Flled Aug 9, 1923 Patented June 9, 19256 UNITE STATES PATENT oFFica.

ROBERT K. MATLACK, OF MILLTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR. TURNING PAPER.

Application filed August 9, 1923. Serial No. 658,507.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT K. MAT'LACK, a citizen of the United States, residing in Milltown, iddlesex County, New Jersey, have inven d certain Improvements in Apparatus for Turning Paper, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide means for turning paper or like material so that each sheet can be examined carefully on both sides.

A further object of the invention is to turn the sheets of paper end for end, as well as side for side.

A still further object of the invention is to construct the apparatus so that the paper will be turned Without manual assistance, thereby eliminating creasing and soiling of the paper during the examination thereof.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing my improved apparatus for turning, or reversing, sheets of paper;

Fig. 2 is a plan View;

Fig. 3 is a diagram indicating the points wlgere the sheets of paper are inspected; an

Fig. 4 is a view showing the invention applied to calendering rolls.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 1 are the two side frames of the apparatus. drum having trunnions mounted in the side frames. 3 is a guide roller located above thedrum'Q. 4'is a guide roller at thefeed end of the apparatus. 5 is a. roller located at the discharge end of the apparatus. 6, 6 are tapes that pass around the drum and around the several rollers hereinbefore mentioned, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Located above the roller 4 is a roller 7, and located above and beyond the roller 3 is a. roller 8.

9, 9 designate tapes that pass around the rollers 7 and 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.- 10 designates a roller located between the drum 2 and the roller 3. 11 designates a roller, which is located some distance from the roller 8. A series of tapes 12 pass around the rollers 10 and 11.

13 designates a platform, which consists-of a series of fiy sticks 14. This platform is pivoted at 15, and is adjustable so that it can be arranged at the proper angle for dilferent weights of paper. In the resent instance, depending from the plat-,

. orm 13 are slotted segments 16, one at each side of the apparatus, and confined to the Qis a frame by bolts 17. On loosening the bolts, the platform can be moved to any angle desired and secured in the it is adjusted.

18 designates a series of tapes that carry the sheets of paper to the paper turning, or reversing, apparatus. 19 designates a series of tapes that pass around the roller 5, which carries the paper from the apparatus. The paper is examined while it is carried by the tapes 18 and 19, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. There are two separate inspection stations, at each of which one entire surface of the paper is entirely exposed. The apparatus reverses the sheets of paper so that one side is exposed to view in passing into the a-pparatusand the other side is exposed to view in passing from the apparatus. The sheets of paper are also reversed end for end. It will be observed that the sheets of paper move in the same direction past the two inspection stations. These two stations are as a matter of convenience, at or near the same level, but the invention is not necessarily so limited.

Referring particularlyzgto Fig. 3, it will be noted that I prefer and have-shown aconstruction comprising three separate but interdependent conveyer units, as follows: The tapes '18 carry the sheets of paper past the first inspection station; the tapes 6 then carry the sheets to the turning mechanism. and the same tapes then carry the turned sheets away from the turning mechanism, and the tapes 19 receive the sheets from the tapesfi and carry them past the second inspection station. .There may be variations from this preferred construction, but it is essential, as concerns certain aspects of the invention, that there be one primary or feeding conveyer section supplying sheets to the. turning mechanism, and another secondary or delivery conveyer section carry ing sheets away from the turning mechanism.

Adjustably mounted on the platform is a stop bar 20, which limits the movement of the paper as it travels up the platform. As the paper strikes the bar 20, the rebound has a tendency to feed the paper in the reverse direction. I

By this construction, the speed of the apparatus can be increased, as there is practically no dwell on the reverse movement of the sheet. The rollers may be driven in any manner desired so that the sheets of paper will travel continuously through the apparatus.

In operation, sheets of paper are carried by the tapes 18 into the space between the rollers 4- and 7. The tapes 6 and 9 engage a sheet and carry it up past the roller 3. The forward edge of a sheet falls ontothe platform 13. The sheet travels up this inclined platform until the end of the sheet is free of the tapes. The reverse edge of the sheet then falls down onto the tapes 12. The forward edge strikes the stop bar 20 and the sheet rebounds. The roller 3 moves in the direction of the arrow and aids the sheet in freeing itself from the means that moved the sheet in the forward direction. As the movement of the tapes 12 is in the reverse direction to the previous movement of the sheet of paper to be examined, the sheet is caused to traveh in a reverse direction and passes between the tapes 6 and the drum 2. The sheet passes around the drum and is carried by the tapes 6 and is transferred onto the tapes 19, having been reversed in its movement around the drum.

It will be noted that the drum 2 cooperating with the tapes 6 necessarilyreverses the direction of motion of the sheets as an incident to turning them over. As already stated, however, it is desired to have the sheets move in the same direction'past the two inspection stations, and therefore I provide auxiliary means for also reversing the direction of motion of the sheets but without turning them over. This auxiliary means is preferably located, as shown, at the end of the primary conveyer section and in advance of the turning drum, but so far as the broader features of the invention are concerned, this exact location is not essential. It will be obvious, how ever, that this auxiliary means must be located between the primary and secondary conveyer sections.

Preferably and as shown, the auxiliary means for reversing the dire ction of motion includesboth the platform 13 and the tapes These two devices supplement each other in their action, but I do not limit myself to the use of both of them. It will-be observed that each of them has an extended surface for engaging practically one entire surface of each sheet, thus completely su porting it during the reversing action.

heet paper, especially of the heavier grades, must be thoroughly examined in order to detect blemishes. The general method is to turn a sheet manually so that it can be inspected on both sides. This is objectionable, as, in many instances, the sheets are marred, or cracked, due to the handling, and have to be discarded with consequent loss. Furthermore, the process is slow and unsatisfactory.

By the use of my invention, the operation is continuous, and examination of the sheets can be made without handling.

By pivoting the platform 13, it can be adjusted to the weight of paper being examined so that the movement of the paper is quickly reversed and each sheet passes in between the tapes 6 and the drum 2, after.

which it is reversed, which permits inspection of the opposite side thereof.

lVhile my invention is especially adapted for use in turning paper for inspection, the apparatus a can be used for turning sheets of paper between pairs of calendering rolls,

21, Fig. 4:. It will be noticed that the sheet is not only reversed, but is also turned end for end. This prevents the calendering rolls from rolling the paper in one direction only. By reversing the paper between the rolls, a better grade of paper is the result.

I claim: 7

1. Tnan apparatus for carrying sheets of paper for inspection, the combination of a feeding conveyor and a delivery conveyer for the sheets of paper, each conveyer moving in the same direction and having a station at which the paper is entirely exposed for inspection; and apparatus located between tne two conveyers for supporting the Hat surfaces of the sheets of paper and turning them over to enable them to move forward onto the delivery conveyer so that both sides of the sheets of paper can be examined.

2. In an apparatus for reversing sheets of paper, the combination of means for feeding sheets of paper to. an inclined plat.

form, the said platform being adjustable about a horizontal axis at its lower end;

means for reversing the movement of the drum mounted on the frame; a roller lo-.

cated above the drum; two rollers, one at each end of the frame; tapes passing around the several rollers and the drum; a series of feed tapes located above the upper run of the first mentioned tapes so as to carry sheets of paper up to a position above the drum; an inclined platform onto which the sheets of paper are projected; and a pair of rollers, one of said rollers being located between the drum and the first mentioned roller, tapes on the last said rollers moving 111 a direction opposite to the direction of the first mentioned tapes in order to carry a sheet of paper between the first said tapes 1 and the drum, the drum reversing the sheets of paper so that, when they leave the apparatus, they are turned over.

4:. In an apparatus for reversing sheets of paper, the combination of a drum; a

series of tapes passing around the drum; guide rollers for said tapes; a platform arranged to receive the sheets of paper as they are fed into the apparatus; means for adjusting the platform; and .a seriesof tapes for feeding the sheets of paper from the platform into the spaces between the tapes and the drum, whereby each sheet is reversed.

'5. The combination in an apparatusfor turning paper, of a conveyer for feeding sheets of paper to the apparatus; and a conveyer for Carrying the sheets of paper 1 from the. apparatus, each conveyer moving. in the same direction and having a station at which the paper is entirely exposed for inspection, said apparatus having devices for supporting the fiat surfaces of the paper and for turning tllefll over and reversing the ends thereof so that, when the sheets of paper leave'the apparatus, they are reversed in regards to the faces thereof and are also turned end for. end.

6. The combination of an apparatus for form; means for adjusting the platform about a horizontal axis at its lower end; means for conveying the sheets of paper to I the platform; and means for receiving the sheets of paper from the platform, the said means reversing the sheets.

7. In an apparatus for turning sheets of paper and the like, the combination of primary and secondary conveyers for the'sheets both moving in the same direction and each having a station at which the paper is entirely exposed for inspection; and two devices located between the said conveyers, one for reversing the direction of motion of the sheets without turning them, and the other comprising a drum and tapes wrapping partly around the drum for turning the sheets and at the same time also reversing the direction of motion.

8. In'an apparatus for turning sheets of paper and the like, the combination of primary and secondary conveyers for the sheets both moving in the same direction and each having a station at whichthe paper is entirely exposed for inspection; a turning mechanism for the sheets located between the two conveyers and comprising a revolving drum and tapes wrapping partly around the drum whereby tl e sheets are received between the tapes and the drum and delivered in turned position; and a supporting means also located between the conveyer sections and having an extendedisun face for contacting with one surface of each sheet and reversing the motion thereof.

9. In an apparatus-for turning sheets of.

paper, the combination of means for feeding 7 sheets of-paper to a reversely moving set of conveyer tapes whereby the direction of movement of the sheets 1s reversed; and a turning sheets of paper; an inclined plat-' paper, the combination of means for feeding sheets of paper to an inclined platform; a'

reversely moving set of conveyer tapes cooperating with the platform whereby the 10. In an apparatus for turning: sheets of direction of movement of the sheets is rev versed; and, a drum around which the sheets of paper are guided so that each sheet will be turned over.

11. In an apparatus for turning sheets of paper and the like, the combination of primary and secondary conveyer sections for the sheets both moving in the same direction; a turning mechanism for the sheets located between the two conveyer sections and comprising a revolving drum; guide rolls for causing the tapes of the primary conveyer section to Wrap partly around the drum whereby the sheets are guided around the roll and delivered in turned position; and a supporting means also located between the conveyer sections and having an extended surface for contacting with one surface of each sheet and reversing the motion thereof.

12. In an apparatus for turning sheets of paper and the like, the combination of primary and secondary conveyer. sections for the sheets both moving in the same direction; a turning mechanism for the sheets located between the two conveyer sections and comprising a revolving drum; guide rolls for causing the tapes of the secondary conveyer section to wrap part1 around the drum; and means at the end 0 the primary conveyer section for reversing the direction of motion of the sheets and delivering them between the tapes and the drum whereby they are turned over and delivered to the secondary conveyer section.

13. In an apparatus for turning sheets of paper and the like, the combination of primaryand secondary conveyer sections for the sheets comprising a single set of tapes; a revolving drum located between the two conveyer. sections; guide rolls for causing the said tapes to wrap partly around the drum; and means at the end of the primary conveyer section for reversing the direction of motion of the sheets and delivering them between'the tapes and the drum whereby they are turned over and delivered to the secondary conveyer section.

14. In an apparatus for reversing sheets of paper, .the combinationof a frame; a

drum; means at the end of the eforesaid upper run for reversing the directlon of motion of the sheets and'delivering them between the said tapes and the drum, the drum reversing the sheets of paper so that, when they leave the apparatus, they are turned over.

15. In an apparatus, for turning sheets of paper and the like, the combination of primary and secondary conveyer sections for the sheets both moving in the same direction; two separate inspection conveyers respectively supplying sheets to the said primary conveyer section and receiving them from the said secondary conveyer section; and two devices located between the Said conveyer sections, one for reversing the direction of motion of the sheets without turning them, and the other for turning the sheets and at the same time also reversing 20 the direction of motion.

ROBERT KJMATLACK. 

